Display case



Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY CASE Application May 5, 1937, Serial No. 140,868

2 Claims.

This invention relates to display cases for various kinds of articles, such as knives, forks, spoons, etc., and more particularly to a display case of the type having a transparent front, whether the front be presented forwardly or upwardly or at an angle.

Cbjects of the invention are to provide a display case which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which is attractive in appearance, which is durable in use, which can be stored and shipped with little danger of injury to the transparent front, and which is generally superior to devices of the general class to which the present invention relates.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

The particular embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a back portion B and a front portion F hinged together at I with a handle 2 on the front to swing the front away from the back on the hinges l. The back may comprise four frame members 3 suitably joined together at the corners, a bottom 4 and lining material 5.

The front F comprises side frame members 6 having slots 'l extending along their upper surfaces and end frame members 8 suitably joined to the side frame members 1 aixed at the corners, the end frame members projecting above the level of the side frame members. The inner upper edges of the end members 8 are rabbeted at 9 to form supporting surfaces which curve from the front to the rear of the case, the ends of the rabbet being in alignment with the ends of the slots 'l in the side members 6. A sheet l0 of stiff exible material is mounted in the rabbets 9 by means of thin metallic retaining strips Il and brads l2, both the sheet I0 and the strips Il being bent to the shape of the curved rabbet and the opposite ends or margins of both extending into the slots l. The sheet I0 is preferably not secured in the slots 'l and terminates short of the bottom of the slots.

The sheet material I0 preferably comprises a transparent cellulosic material such as cellulose acetate with the grain running in the direction of curvature, that is, parallel to the end members 8. By having the grain of the material I0 run (Cl. 20G-44) lengthwise of the curvature the material assumes a smoother shape when it is applied to the case and after it is applied it oiers more resistance to indentation orother distortion. By having the material terminate short of the bottoms of the grooves 'l the material is free to expand and contract with changes of temperature and is thus likely to be distorted. By virtue of the unique construction herein disclosed the material l 0 may be made as thin as 10 to 20 thousandths of an inch in thickness.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the l appended claims.

I claim:

1. A display case having end members and side members bridging the space between the end members with their outer sides substantially flush with the lateral edges of the end members, the end members extending above the side members and having continuous edges extending, at least in part along curves, from one side member tothe other, said edges being recessed on the inside to form outwardly facing surfaces and at least one of said side members having a groove in its upper edge with the inner surface of the groove. substantially flush with said outwardly facing surfaces of the end members, and a transparent l... cover extending along said surfaces with its margin extending into said groove.

2. A display case having end members and side members bridging the space between the end members with their outer sides substantially flush 35 with the lateral edges of the end members, the end members extending above the side members and having continuing edges extending, at least in part along curves, from one side member to the other, said edges being recessed on the inside to form outwardly facing surfaces and said side members having grooves in their upper edges with the inner surfaces of the grooves substantially flush with said outwardly facing surfaces of the end members, and a transparent cover extending along said surfaces with its margins extending into said grooves, the transparent cover being unattached to the side member so that it is free to expand and contract toward and from the bottoms of the grooves.

LESLIE O. WEI'HEREIL. 

